The International Commission on Mathematical Instruction, 1908-2008: People, Events, and Challenges in Mathematics Education

Preface.- Introduction: An outline of the history of ICMI, including the table of the ICMI officers.- Chapter 1: Foundation of ICMI and early period up to WW1.- Historical context.- Portraits.- Chapter 2: ICMI between the two World Wars: crisis and dissolution in 1920-21 and ephemeral rebirth in Bologna 1928.- Historical context.- Portraits.- Chapter 3: The rebirth in 1952 as a permanent sub-commission of the IMU.- Historical context.- Portraits.- Chapter 4: The Renaissance in the late 1960s and consolidation.- Historical context.- Portraits.- Chapter 5: Gaining autonomy from IMU and new trends in ICMI action.- Historical context.- Portraits.- Chapter 6: Eminent Figures in the first century of ICMI.- Portraits.- Beke Emanuel.- Bioche Charles.- Boulad Bey Farid Youssef.- Dickstein Samuel.- Enriques Federigo.- Laisant Charles-Anges.- Loria Gino.- Petrovic Mihailo.- Wirtinger Wilhelm.- Epilogue.- Appendices.

Fulvia Furinghetti is a retired professor of mathematics education at the University of Genoa (Italy). Her research concerns mathematics education (computer science in mathematics teaching, proof, beliefs, teacher education, history in mathematics teaching, and public image of mathematics) and the history of mathematics education. She was one of the organizers of the celebrations of the Centenary of the journal L'Enseignement Mathématique in 2000 and the Centenary of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) in 2008. In both cases, she was one of the editors of the proceedings. With Livia Giacardi, she has developed a website on the history of the first hundred years of ICMI. In 2001-2004 she chaired the International Study Group on History and Pedagogy of Mathematics (HPM) affiliated to ICMI.


Livia Giacardi is a full professor of History of Mathematics at the University of Turin. Her research focuses on the history of mathematics - in particular on the history of geometry in Italy in the 19th and 20th centuries - and on the history of mathematics education. She has been the Secretary of the Italian Society for the History of Mathematics (2000-2008), and a member of the Council (2000-2017); a member of the Italian Commission for Mathematics Teaching (2003-2012); and a member of the IPC of the Symposium on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of ICMI (2008) and was one of the editors of the proceedings. With Fulvia Furinghetti, she has developed a website on the history of the first hundred years of ICMI.

"The book is a testament to the thousands of hours invested by the editors to record and share the history of ICMI with anyone who has an interest in mathematics education. Its focus on primary sources and data nicely complements the varied perspectives found in The First Century. Thus, it is worth acquiring by any college or university library with a mathematics education program and by historians of mathematics education." (Amy Ackerberg-Hastings, MAA Reviews, July 15, 2023)